B.C. police step up distracted driving enforcement for new campaign

British Columbia’s provincial government, police and insurance corporation launched a month-long distracted driving prevention campaign Thursday, targeting the third-leading cause of road fatalities in the province.

Police are stepping up enforcement across the province and will be out checking for distracted drivers throughout February.

“A phone call or text can wait for you to reach your destination or find a safe place to pull over,” Suzanne Anton, Attorney General and Minister of Justice commented in a press release from the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia.

“It is simply not worth the risk of causing a crash and causing serious injury or worse to yourself or someone else on the road. Police across B.C. are doing their part to change this dangerous behaviour by ticketing drivers and enforcing the law. That means if you’re caught talking or texting on your cell while driving, you could face a $167 fine and three penalty points.”

ICBC says that drivers are four times more likely to crash when talking on a handheld phone and 23 times more likely to get in a crash if they text behind the wheel. The organization says that texting behind the wheel takes a driver’s eyes from the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, and at 50 km per hour, that is equivalent to driving 64 meters blind – more than the length of a professional-size hockey rink.

“Every day police across the province encounter drivers using hand-held devices behind the wheel and based on their excuses, they just don’t get it,” Chief Officer Neil Dubord, chair of the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police Traffic Safety Committee noted in ICBC’s release.

“Most drivers acknowledge that distracted driving is dangerous but they’re also quick to justify their own behaviours. We need drivers to realize there are no excuses for putting others at risk. Pay attention and focus on driving, you will help prevent a tragedy.”